C.J. Fiedorowicz: We Welcome You With Open Arms

Not to toot our own horns, but we changed the 2010 recruiting class. How, you the reader may be wondering? Well it's a terrific story. During Minnesota week, we looked at our recruits that have verbally committed and were satisfied with what we saw (for Iowa standards). We knew though that we needed one big name. About Wednesday of that week we learned that we would be entertaining two huge prospects during the Minnesota game, 4-star Tight End C.J. Fiedorowicz (the former Illini verbal commit) and 5-star Offensive Tackle Seantrel Henderson (undecided).

So what did we do as avid Iowa Football fans? We got to the gate at 9:00 A.M and waited for the gates to open (nothing different than normal, but we needed to be close to convince the recruits [and to see the tenacity that is Seantrel Henderson] that Iowa is the place for them). We ran down the bleachers, laid down to hold our seats, and waited. After the stands starting filling up, and the players came out to warm up, we saw the recruits come out. No C.J., no Seantrel.

The recruits got a good glimpse of what it's like before a Hawkeye game then got escorted back into the tunnel. We were confused, where was C.J. and Seantrel? Then out of nowhere out come C.J. (accompanied by his mother) and Seantrel (with what looked like an entourage). From the fourth row behind the South endzone, Seantrel was a monster (6 foot 7, 295 pounds), and C.J. towered over the people around him (6 foot 6, 230 pounds). So here we are, staring down at one of the top high school tight ends, and the number one recruit in the country.

So onto the story. C.J. turns around and immediately I say, "C.J. come to Iowa, we work the tight end much more than Illinois!". He smiled with an awestruck look on his face (or maybe that was my expression). Everyone around us started buzzing, asking us who those guys were. Soon everyone knew, and everyone knew the importance of their visit. I said again "C.J. we want you here!" and Jonah uttered the ol' Kirk Ferentz line "You'll look great in Black and Gold". He turned around and gave us the thumbs up (while his mom tugged at his Johnsburg High School Letterman's jacket with a huge smile on her face). Right before they left, the student section busted out into a huge "Come to IOWA" chant, and Mrs. Fiedorowicz looked like she could have cried and C.J. looked like he would have signed the letter right then and there! I loved it, we sold it, we got him hooked. We couldn't tell if we affected Seantrel (his expressions were ice cold) but we got one at least.

So while reading up on him we learned that he decommitted from Illinois, and gave a verbal agreement to come to Iowa. Here is what he said, "I wasn't happy with what is going on at Illinois," Fiedorowicz told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I like all the coaches at Iowa. They will be staying around for a long time. I went to the Iowa/Minnesota game last weekend and the atmosphere was so much better than at Illinois. Now I feel good about my decision." This is a kid that had the likes of Notre Dame, Miami, LSU, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Arizona on his trail and us, Iowa, nabbed him!

But how are we the soul reason why C.J. committed to us? Because of this, "Last weekend, I was talking to Iowa fans and they knew all about me. You could tell they care about their football over there"

That's right, he gave us a shout out without even knowing our names! But that's OK, we have no problem admitting who we are, and what we did! So Welcome C.J., and if you need anything, please let us know!

Love,
The Manchise

Heartbreak Haymakers

When we began posting just a short time ago, we attempted to provide full disclosure, a disclaimer warning any potential readers that we are, among other things, not experts and are extremely biased. This site is meant to be a collection of our views, opinions and thoughts. That disclaimer included notes warning that we loved the Cardinals, Sox, Bears, Bulls and Hawkeyes. We noted we hate the Cubs and Cyclones and finished with a note warning that we may develop other, more severe biases. For the second time this week, we are now posting about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In the spirit of our previous full disclosure, I would like to say now that this is not a new found hatred for the Irish. While there are some things we do despise about ND (as previously evidenced), it just so happens that they have been great as of late at getting their pretty little faces all over the news. Amidst all the talk of Charlie Wiess getting canned and the sub-par season the team is having (again), comes the news that a disgruntled fan threw a haymaker to the face of a (supposedly) unsuspecting Jimmy Clausen. Some reports indicate Clausen may have pushed the fan first, while others simply say the two were in an argument - either way, not the best news for Irish Nation. Since this news broke in the early part of the week, we have had some thoughts bouncing around those little ADD minds of ours. We understand Clausen is not the most liked quarterback outside of South Bend and I would imagine there are many other football fans around the country that would have loved the opportunity to take a shot at Clausen. So that had us to thinking: if you could punch one college quarterback square in the face with no repercussions, who would it be? Would you like to cold clock Clausen? How about giving Tebow a love tap to the face? I know there are a few of you out there that would kill for the chance to crush Christensen in the beak. So this is your chance to sound off. Tell us which college QB, if given the chance, you would most like to take a shot at. Be sure to give us the dirty details. Why do you hate them so much? What is it about them that just makes you want to punch babies? Check back to see what others think about your temper. There’s also a poll posted to the left so be sure to vote for the QB you dislike most.

As Hawkeye Nation Waits...

(Picture Courtesy of ESPN.COM)

Good Afternoon Hawkeye Nation! Some of you may be Christmas shopping to take your mind off of this afternoon's games, and some of you may be watching Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma (the most important game for the Hawkeyes this afternoon). Here's what we know, and what we should be pulling for the rest of the day.

1. The Oklahoma offense has not looked good (at least in the fist half)- Oklahoma has only converted one first down on eight attempts. The run game has been shut down by a good Cowboy front line (only 29 yards). The pass game has been OK to say the least with Landry throwing for 137 yards but is only 10/24. Look for Bob Stoops to light a fire under his offense.

2. Oklahoma States offense isn't any better- The Cowboys are 0-9 on third down, with only 105 total yards in a first half that had three reviewed fumbles. Zac Robinson has looked a little shaky after taking a big late hit in the first quarter. He is 8/14 for only 37 yards. But the Cowboy running game has been decent racking up 68 yards.

3. This is going to be a defensive battle- The Sooner defense is stingy and battling their butts off to make sure this Cowboy offense doesn't score.

What the Hawkeyes need: A big second half offensively from the Sooners, as well as their defense to stay strong. Oklahoma State is the biggest threat to any Big Ten team pursuing a BCS at large bid. A loss to the Cowboys takes them out of contention. We need Arizona to beat Arizona State (with every Wildcat win, our out of conference schedule looks better). The Hawkeyes have the upper hand if the Sooners win because Ohio beat Temple (Temple was Penn State's best out of conference win. They were 9-0 after the loss in Happy Valley and looking very strong).

Top 10 Moments of the Hawkeye Season

Thanksgiving is over and some of us are recovering from a long Black Friday. Our stomachs are full, and leftover turkey is taking over the entire fridge. Family and friends are gone, and I'm sure everyone has their very own "grandpa got drunk and danced to Bing Crosby's entire 52-track Christmas album" story. Yet today feels weird, different, unwhole. It feels to long causing me to reflect on how much I really did eat on Thursday.

It's because Hawkeye Nation is sitting, waiting, hoping, wishing, for Pitt to fall off either this weekend against West Virginia, or the next against Cincinnati. We are praying Oklahoma takes out Oklahoma State at home. We are dreaming that the members of the human polls are going over the games that our beloved Hawkeyes played in. So with an amazing 10-2 season under our belt, and a BCS bowl bid close within our grasps, I want to ease the mind of my fellow corn heads. So lets take a look back at this Hawkeye season. Here is my "Top 10" plays/moments of the year, in celebration of the Hawkeyes going 10-2.

10. The Return of our Hawaiian Punch
Tony Mo has had himself one crazy career in Iowa. One of the most touted tight ends in the country during high school, Tony Mo was destined to shine in black and gold. Tony has had his share of injuries (come to think of it, he's had more than his share; he's suffered so many injuries that nobody else in a Hawkeye jersey should have gotten hurt the past 3 seasons). But this year it looked like we would finally have him for a full season, until he missed three games due to a sprained ankle. That wasn't enough to keep him out vs. Rich Rodriguez's Michigan Wolverines. Tony hulled in 6 passes for 105 yards and two huge touchdowns in his return (both touchdowns consisted of great throws by Stanzi and blocking by DJK and Allen Reisner).

The P.S. Post: Charlie Weis

So we are really trying to bring our readers (however many there are of you) daily/weekly posts that you can count on reading. Something that will spark conversation, comments, and a few mad readers from time to time. So another idea we had was a weekly letter to somebody (See The Man, The Myth, The Hair: Joakim Noah), anybody, and we are going to call it The P.S. Post. We hope you enjoy, and again if you don't like it or if you love it, let us know! You can email us, comment on the page, hell we even have Twitter and a Facebook fan page, so LOOK US UP AND GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS!


Dear Charlie Weis,
I'm going to try not to make fun of your weight, or how much I think you may eat this Thanksgiving (but if I do indeed slip, you can't blame me, these jokes are just too easy). So anyways Chuck (can I call you Chuck?) I applaud the way you have pushed the media away, and made it seem as if you are not afraid of losing your job at Notre Dame. I mean it is most likely true, why would you be afraid or upset? You are going to get your money either way, and probably going to get a job right away in the NFL. You were, at a time, one of the best offensive coordinators in the league, and a brillant football mind. Notre Dame has been a hell hole for you, filled with heart ache, near heart attacks (not because of your weight, wink wink) and god awful losses. But I, Chuck, don't blame you. I blame Irish Nation.

Notre Dame gets the best recruits right up there with USC, Florida, Ohio State, and Texas. Its what the school does with those recruits when they get there that I have the problem with. These recruits get to campus and BOOM something changes. Why you ask? Because every Notre Dame student and Alum are, well, a little snobby. But you, Chuck, you know this better than anyone. These snobby Alum and students put these players in the limelight from the moment they verbally commit to the Irish. They get to campus and are given a false sense of assurance and respect. So when these players walk on the field, they believe a win is going to be given to them, because they are NOTRE DAME! This is the land of that b*tch, RUDY, the land of that annoying mascot, the land of "Play Like a Champion Today". They have the likes of Tim Brown, Lou Holtz (he learned the art of spitting here), Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Ryan Grant, Justin Tuck, Raghib Ismail, Tony Rice, and Brady Quinn to only name a few of their NFL alumni. They have had 102 winning seasons in 120 years of football. They have produced more consensus All-Americans than any other program in college football. So with such a tradition, these fans demand the same outcome year in and year out. This complete sense of entitlement is part of what has brought the great Notre Dame to the position it's in today. In the glory days, it was an honor to go to Notre Dame. It was a tough school to get in to and stood for the Catholic Church and great football. Today, however, it is but a shadow of its former self. Not only have you not been to the National Championship in two decades (OK, we'll give you partial credit for '93), but you haven't been in the discussion in quite some time. Yet, you expect to be in the discussion every year. You think that because you have an expansive alumni network and people all around the country waiting to watch you on your own personal Saturday network (though certainly not all hoping to see you perform well), that you should be in contension for the title. While other BCS teams must finish in the top 14 in the BCS rankings, you, Notre Dame, only need to win nine games and finish in the top 19, because you deserve it. But you Chuck, as I said before, know this! You embody it! You have even proclaimed that if Notre Dame loses with you calling the plays, it won't be because you are out-schemed (although damn-near nobody is going to out-athlete you). It's not your fault, though. You were brought into a nation of self entitlement and have been fed it for years now.

Chuck, I blame those leprechauns more than you. I mean, they have caused you to put on more weight, broke your leg, and even made a billboard about you. How LOW! I mean cry me a river Irish fans, I live around Chicago and am a Bears, and Sox fan (up until 2005 it was miserable). I go to the University of Iowa where Hawkeye fans get excited if they sign a couple of 3-star recruits. So all of you need to take a good long look at your history and where you have been, and relax already. I mean punching your starting quarterback? You guys sound like Cub fans. Do you want to sound like Cub fans? Nobody wants to sound like Cub fans!

But Chuck, I must say, you have sold out just a little bit. You act like you care, especially about this week against Stanford, but I can tell you're done with this job. Hell, I would be too, but you must remember that these kids aren't getting paid, they want to play (no matter how much respect they think they deserve). But I suppose when you are hitting 350lbs, and have to deal with whining leprechauns all the time, I would quit too. So Chuck I hope you have a great Thanksgiving with a few friends and family. I hope that your four turkeys come out just right, and that you have plenty of Pepto next to your lazy boy. Have a great Holiday Chuck!

Sincerely,

-The Manchise

P.S. I'm sorry about the weight jokes, I know I said I wouldn't.

Your Daily J

What’s it like being a completely ordinary working man? What do normal college kids think about? We know you’ve been pondering questions like these for some time now, and thought we’d give you the inside scoop. So this is it, Your Daily J – your daily dose of what’s going on in the minds of two completely normal guys. Not always news related, not necessarily sports related, just a daily thought we’d like to share with you. As usual, we’d love to hear your thoughts as well. So here we go. Up today, a little what if analysis: What if Iowa was able to sign just one 5-star recruit every football season?

How much of a difference would it make for Iowa Football if every year, they knew they were going to lock up just one 5-star recruit? Many around Hawkeye Nation are buzzing about what could be next season with the success obtained this year and what most would consider to be a good recruiting class (for Iowa) coming in. A look at the depth chart shows Iowa losing only two players on defense (LBs Angerer and Edds) and four on offense (WR Trey Stross, TE Moeaki, and OL Eubanks and Calloway – the injured Dace Richardson may also graduate, or may return for a 6th year) to graduation. There is talk of several others (namely DE Adrian Clayborn, CB Amari Sieviey and OL Bryan Bulaga) heading to the NFL, but overall, the foundation stays fairly intact. The buzz surrounding the recruiting class is based on 19 verbal commitments to date, highlighted by two 4-star recruits (Iowa City City High’s QB A.J. Derby and Anthony Wayne High School's (Ohio) OL Andrew Donnal). The class ranks 26th in the nation according to rivals.com. But what if Iowa was able to pull in just a single 5-star recruit? What if we had the same guys graduating year after year and had the same type of recruiting class, but we turned that one 2-star recruit in the 2010 class into a 5-star (say OL Seantrel Henderson from Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Cretin-Derham Hall – the #1 recruit in the country who visited Iowa for the Minnesota game last week)? How much of a difference would that make in our team’s performance, as well as in drawing other top recruits in the future?

(couresy of http://www.detnews.com/)

In the past five years, Iowa has only managed to land one 5-star recruit. Any guesses as to who that was? That’s right, our second-string right guard from Barrington, Illinois, Dan Doering, who we will also lose to graduation this year. Doering, however, was a part of the best recruiting class (as far as rankings are concerned) Iowa has seen. In 2005, Iowa had the #11 recruiting class in the nation according to rivals.com. The class included Doering as the lone 5-star, but also included three other Army All-Americans from the Chicago area (TE Tony Moeaki, OL Dace Richardson and DL Ryan Bain). At the time, Iowa had just finished its third consecutive 10-win season, finishing in the top ten for the third consecutive year as well. Things were looking up and you could see the snowball begin to take shape. Four years later, however, the injury bug has plagued Iowa's top recruits. Dace Richardson and Tony Moeaki were both on pace for their first full season as meaningul starters this year, but both suffered injuries yet again. Tony was able to overcome his ankle sprain and complete a great senior season, while Dace suffered a season-ending broken leg. Doering has been passed on the depth chart by less touted recruits for the last three seasons and DL Ryan Bain transferred to the University of Akron following the 2006 season after becoming disgruntled over playing time. However, Hawk fans will be happy to know that Ryan has since gone on to a prosperous career - despite being named to the preseason All-MAC team in 2008, Bain has yet to record a single stat in a Zips uniform (guess his dad was right, you don't get to the NFL as a backup - he's currently ranked as the #66 DT eligible for the 2010 draft). The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, have been able to prosper with lesser recruits running the show.

(courtesy of http://www.qctimes.com/)

Guys like Robert Gallery, Dallas Clark, Shonn Greene and Pat Angerer came out of high school as 3-star recruits and were overlooked by most of the top-tier programs. Now, Iowa is back to another 10-win season and is looking for another top-10 finish. So the question remains, how would a 5-star recruit each year work out for the Hawkeyes? Would they help draw other top recruits and keep Iowa on it's winning track, only with more talented athletes? Would they help us get more national recognition and give us an edge against the top programs? Or is there just something about this program that values guys like Pat Angerer. Guys who are overlooked and have taken it personally. Guys who don't come with a sense of entitlement and are willing to work day in and day out to take this program to new heights. I don't know the answer to these questions. I have no idea how different our program would be with better recruits coming in. All I do know is Kirk has built something pretty good without them and it does leave the Hawkeye fan wondering what could be if top recruits start looking our way (Note: update on the status of Henderson and top TE recruit C.J. Fiedorowicz, who also visited Iowa for the Minnesota game, to come next week). Your thoughts?

Week 12 Lines: Covered in Spread

After a huge showing from Vince Young and the ever so dependable Chris Johnson, the Titans wrapped up this week with a 20-17 win over the Texans. So in our inaugural week of the pick 'em, Jonah missed two games and Jerry missed four. That means it's the perfect time to start thinking about the coming week in the NFL. As we did in last week, we are going to pick through all the games this week, but this time a little differently. We are going to pick the lines as if we were betting in Vegas. We will be keeping track of our individual records, and at the end of the regular season the loser will be subject to embarrassment on this site. We have decided that whoever does worse against the spread will, in fac,t be covered in "spread". That's right, the loser will have some sort of spread dumped on his body and you, the reader, will decide what condiment will be the weapon of choice. Next week we will put up a poll for our readers to vote, so make sure you are looking out for that.

So without further adieu, I present to you "Covered in Spread"!

Thursday:
Green Bay Packers (-10.5) at Detroit Lions (+10.5)
Jonah-Call me a Cheesehead!
Jerry-I have no choice, but the Pack need to learn how to close out games.

Oakland Raiders (+ 13.5) at Dallas Cowboys (-13.5):
Jonah-I'll take the Cowboys to cover admirably especially after this past weekend.
Jerry- The Cowboys were held scoreless for most of their game Sunday against the Redskins, so look for Romo to come out throwing. I'll take the Cowboys as well.

New York Giants (-6.5) at Denver Broncos (+6.5):
Jonah-I'm hoping McDaniels can turn this losing streak around. I'll take the Broncos at +6.5.
Jerry-The Giants are going to proove there not a team to be messed with, I'll take the Giants at -6.5.

Sunday:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+11.5) at Atlanta Falcons (-11.5):
Jonah-I'm going to take the Falcons, but I'm not doing it happily.
Jerry-Call me crazy but I think I'm going to take the Bucs.

Miami Dolphins (-3) at Buffalo Bills (+3):
Jonah-Dolphins by more than a touchdown.
Jerry-Dolphins are going to run Wild(cat).

Washington Redskins (+9) at Phillidelphia Eagles (-9):
Jonah-E-A-G-L-E-S!
Jerry-No Ladell Betts, no Clinton Portis, doesn't look good for the 'skins. I'll take the Eagles.

Seattle Seahawks (-3) at St. Louis Rams (+3):
Jonah-Rams are struggling, Seahawks are struggling, but I'll take the Seahawks.
Jerry-I think Stephen Jackson has himself a day considering Bulger is done.

Carolina Panthers (+3) at New York Jets (-3):
Jonah-This one is way to hard, I don't think I would put any money on it, but since I have to I'll take the Panthers.
Jerry-The "Sanchise" has looked brutal lately, but Rex Ryan does have a top 5 defense. I'll take the Jets, but I wouldn't touch this game either.

Cleveland Browns (+14) at Cincinatti Bengals (-14):
Jonah-The Browns offense looked good against a terrible team, and the defense gave up 38 points to the Lions. I'll take the Bengals.
Jerry-Not even a question, I love me some Hard Knocks.

Indianapolis Colts (-3.5) at Houston Texans (+3.5):
Jonah-I love me some Peyton Manning!
Jerry-The Colts are going to give it to Houston.

Kansas City Chiefs (+13.5) at San Diego Chargers (-13.5):
Jonah-Another high line, but the Chargers look mighty good.
Jerry-Chargers, but this line is awfully high.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) at San Francisco 49ers (-3):
Jonah-The Jags will cover this week.
Jerry-The Jags are terrible on the road, I'm taking the niners.

Chicago Bears (+10.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-10.5):
Jonah- Vikings trounce this terrible Bears team.
Jerry- Even I can't deny the pressure Cutler is going to have this weekend. I'll take the Vikings (teardrops are hitting my computer).

Arizona Cardinals (+1) at Tennessee Titans (-1):
Jonah-Vince Young has brought a different "SWAG" to this team.
Jerry-I have loved Vince Young since the day I saw him. Titans take out the Cards.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5):
Jonah-Can't bet against the defending Champs.
Jerry-Ray Rice is a stud, and I think this tren will continue.

Monday Night:
The hopefully new game of the year-
New England Patriots (+3) at New Orleans Saints (-3):
Jonah-Saints stay undefeated at home.
Jerry-I'm having a hard time betting against Tom Brady, so I wont Pats cover.

So there are our picks for week 12. I hope everyone has a delightful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and food. Be sure to look back at our updated picks as soon as the rest of the lines come out, and look for the poll on what "spreads" will cover the loser!

-The Manchise

Electoral College

The next major political election is just under a year away, but with the NCAA bowl season fast approaching, it’s time to take a look at the voting in the most recent polls. Now, some have said that this season has been nothing more than a Bernie Madoff-esque ponzi scheme to rip off millions of hopeful college football viewers (cough, Ivan Maisel, cough). We would contend that the contrary has happened. We are seeing some parity in college football and it makes for darn good TV. As of today, there are no fewer than six unbeaten teams out there, all of which have had their scares. We’ve seen some tradition-rich programs go down (and get embarrassed – see USC’s performances against Oregon on October 31st and against Stanford on November 14th). We’ve also seen some mid-majors creep into the top ten with nearly flawless seasons. All this makes the voting process that much more difficult for the AP and coaches (well, at least whoever is voting for them). With that, we dive deeper into a single race for a BCS bid as a sample of the many flaws with the current college voting process.

Many of the national pundits (namely from ESPN) have been way down on the Big Ten this year and have used the poor performance in bowl games last year as a prime example of why. They say the top programs are not that strong and that it’s really just Ohio State and Penn State that matter now, and that even those teams get beaten every year by teams in the PAC Ten and SEC. While we firmly believe that this is more a case of parity (good for football and evidence of a stronger conference, rather than a weaker one) and some really tough matchups (only one team beat Florida last year, but the Big Ten is down because OSU couldn’t do the trick?), we will save our propaganda for a later post. Here, we would like to focus on the race for a BCS bid between two top Big Ten teams: the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
With both teams having closed out their regular season, the sit with identical records. Both are 10-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. So what’s a voter to do? Well, let’s take a peek at the schedules to kick things off. The Hawkeyes have the nation’s 27th ranked schedule (on the left), while the Nittany Lions’ schedule ranks 47th (on the right).

(courtesy of http://www.espn.com/)

A look here shows a few glaring differences. Proponents of Penn State would point to the big wins over Michigan State, Michigan, and Northwestern – all teams Iowa played close games with. Iowa even lost to Northwestern at home. The Hawkeye proponent would then point out the thumping Penn State took from Ohio State at home. When Iowa went to the Horseshoe, they took the Buckeyes to OT with a freshman quarterback getting his first start. Throw in the fact that the same freshman was thrown into the game against Northwestern (a game the Hawkeyes were in complete control of to this point) with a perfect season and a possible BCS National Title on the line, only to come up a touchdown short and you have a case for the Hawkeyes two losses not looking so bad. The Penn State fan comes back with, “yeah, but none of your wins were by a huge margin, we killed all those teams.” True, you did thump a few teams Iowa struggled with. Iowa had five games decided by less than a touchdown. Two of those were losses and the other three were victories for the Hawkeyes. Many of the games were closer than the score would indicate, and a few were not nearly as close as the score would indicate. The problem here is that most of the voters don’t get a chance to watch all the games, especially with most of the Big Ten kicking off at the same time. If a voter had caught all the games, they would have noticed the Nittany Lions may seem more consistent, and that consistency meant some blowout wins. However, that consistency also meant a blowout loss to OSU at home. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, seem to be much more up and down. The key here is they play to the level of their competition. When UNI came to town way back in September, the Hawkeyes looked much like an FCS team. However, they also looked like deserving Big Ten champs when they went to the Horseshoe and took the Buckeyes to OT.

The roller coaster ride for the Hawkeyes appears to be very closely tied to the competition they are facing. That said, a voter should consider the body of work these two teams have created. The Nittany Lions have only faced two teams that will be ranked at the end of the year, losing both times by double digits at home. The Hawkeyes also only faced two teams which will be nationally ranked at the end of this season as well. However, they played both teams on the road. One came as an overtime loss by three at Ohio State. The other, an eleven-point victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions in Happy Valley. I can think of one coach that should probably be voting for PSU ahead of the Hawkeyes, but Joe Pa should probably be alone on this one. The current USA Today Coaches Poll puts Penn State at #11, a full 100 points ahead of the Hawkeyes, who sit at #13. The AP poll is slightly closer with PSU at #12 while Iowa is only seven points back at #13. The computers, however, have taken a look at the numbers and haven’t thought about tradition. The current BCS standings put the Hawkeyes at #11 with the Nittany Lions at #13. With #9 Pittsburgh still slated to play #5 Cincinnati on December 5th, it appears Iowa is destined for the top ten in the BCS. One can only hope the holiday vacations will give the AP and USA Today voters some time to take a look back over the season and the numbers. People don't forget.....

"Lucky" 7

The University of Iowa football team has already accomplished many things that some thought unlikely this season. With a 10-2 record and hopefully a BCS at large bid still to come, Hawkeye fan's are already gleaming. It has been a season with 4th quarter heroics and near heart attacks, and the Big Ten coaches and Media have realized that.

Seven Hawkeyes have been named to the Coaches and Media all-Big Ten teams. Earning these honors are Bryan Bulaga (who also has been named the Offensive Lineman of the Year), senior OG Dace Richardson, the finally healthy Tony Moeaki, Mr. Six Seconds of Hell himself Adrian Clayborn, as well as Pat Angerer and defensive backs Tyler Sash and Amari Spievey.

Angerer, Bulaga, Clayborn and Sash made the first team all-Big Ten in both the coaches and media voting. Spievey, Richardson, and Moeaki were on just the coaches' first team. The seven Hawkeyes on the all-Big Ten teams is a league high, and is well deserving considering the Hawkeyes were predicted in the preseason to finish 4th in the Big Ten behind Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan State.

Iowa also has some players on the second team all-Big Ten as well. Senior linebacker A.J. Edds, senior center Rafael Eubanks, and the man himself, junior wide receiver DJK all landed themselves on the coaches unit. Eubanks, Moeaki, senior OT Kyle Calloway, junior free safety Brett Greenwood and Spievey were all on the media's second team.

As if that wasn't enough, we have a few coaches honorable mentions which included: the pair of junior defensive tackles in Christian Ballard and Karl Klug, Ryan Donahue and his golden boot, Calloway, Greenwood, and freshmen running back Adam Robinson.

The media's honorable mention included Donahue, Broderick Binns, Edds, DJK, Klug, the struggling place-kicker Daniel Murray, Robinson and the 4th quarter hero from Ohio Ricky Stanzi.

And finally the best part of the whole day, Kirk Ferentz won his third Big Ten Coach of the Year. He is the second winningest coach in Hawkeye football history, with a career record of 92-76. He is 80-55 at the helm of the Hawkeyes. Many thought that Jim Tressel would be walking home with this award, but Kirk truly deserved this award much more. Iowa is a 3 star program, and in the past two years he has done a terrific job at taking overlooked athletes and turning them into stars. This is just another reason why the Hawkeyes deserve the BCS bid over Penn State (post coming later).

Congratulations to all of the Hawkeye award winners and nominees. You gave us one hell of a season full of great plays, great games, and great memories. Check out the rest of the all-Big Ten award winners on ESPN.com.

Who "clocked" the Coach?

This is an email from our buddy Dave Johnson and his thoughts on Les Miles' lack of coaching from this past weekend. Dave will be adding his thoughts every couple of weeks. We encourage all of our followers to please email in any thoughts and if we truly like them, we will post them.
-The Manchise
Let’s go back in time a little bit, a journey back to early Saturday evening. I sat and watched the psychotic and former National Championship winning head coach of the LSU Tigers, Les Miles give the game away. LSU had just gone down and scored against the underdog Ole Miss Rebels to make it a 25 to 23 game with just under 2 minutes to go. The Tigers then went for the 2 point conversion and failed, giving a ton of momentum to the Rebels. Miraculously the Tigers then recovered the onside kick because of stud WR/RB/GOD Dexter McCluster seemed to be terrified of actually winning the game.
Within two plays Miles and the Tigers were inside the Ole Miss 30 yard line and there was over a minute left on the clock and two timeouts. After a couple of absolutely ridiculous play calls consisting of the Tiger wide receivers running routes to the end zone, Miles was forced to use a timeout after losing 15 yards (You were only down 2 points Les…all you needed was a field goal). Instead of taking a page out of the Jim Tressel play book, Miles had to be the ballzy coach and go for the touchdown. What happened on the next two plays was something that left me and the other gentleman in the room screaming at the TV. LSU on 3rd and 25 was sacked with 28 seconds left on the clock. Miles inexcusably did not use his final timeout until there was 9 seconds left on the clock. Yes, you read that correctly the ever-aggressive hot-head Les Miles let 19 seconds roll of the clock before FINALLY calling his last timeout.
Of course on the next play the Tigers completed a miraculous pass inside the Ole Miss ten-yard-line, but because Miles and his coaching staff had so badly mismanaged the clock there was only 1 second left and their feeble attempt of trying to "clock" the ball ended the game with no time remaining. How could a former National Championship winning head coach allow 19 seconds to run off the clock before using his final timeout? That my friends is just an unacceptable way to loose a hard fought conference game on the road. So Mr. Miles instead of screaming at your players and coaches all the damn time, maybe you should learn how to manage the clock at the end of football games.
-Dave Johnson

Turkey Time!

The weekend has drawn to a close and another Monday is upon us. This Monday, however, brings with it the promise of Turkey Thursday. With that in mind, we move out of the sports realm (well, as much as we can) and count down our ten best things about Thanksgiving. Yeah, yeah, you don’t agree – so comment on it. Feel really strongly? Post something while you’re signed in so the world knows who you are.

10. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Giant Snoopy, giant Charlie Brown, what more needs to be said? Throw in Matt Lauer (so that’s where in the world he is) and unnecessary high school bands and/or dance groups and you’ve got the makings of a great way to spend 15 minutes of your life. At least it kicks off the holiday, right?

(courtesy of flickr.com)

9. The Dog Show

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is over. Matt Lauer is back to wandering around the globe, leaving us to ponder: Where in the world is Matt Lauer? Football doesn’t start for a few hours so what’s a guy to do? The only logical thing there is to do – switch over to The National Dog Show Presented by Purina on NBC. Ah yes, that dog is much girlier than the one I just saw (actually, isn’t that the same dog?). So wait, people really spend all their time doing this? My life thrown away on fantasy sports and pointless blogs now seems quite relevant.

(courtesy of http://www.nationaldogshow.com/index.asp)

8. Good Football (well, at least football)

One of the best things about this middle-of-the-week holiday is the fact that we can sit back, relax and enjoy some football when we would normally be in class or on the job. Once upon a time these were some great games. This year, well, let’s just say there are some games. The early game includes the Green Bay Packers at the feisty Detroit Lions, who are coming off an impressive (impressive in the sense that they now have two more wins than all of last year) win over the Cleveland Browns. This one will be televised on FOX. The afternoon game will feature the feared Oakland Raiders, also coming off a big win (no really, they beat the Bengals), at the Dallas Cowboys on CBS. The primetime game actually should draw some interest and features the New York Giants at the Denver Broncos (for more on the Broncos, check out The Mile High Magic)

7. Better Food

So, usually no sausage here, but who doesn’t love some turkey and stuffing? As fall draws to a close, we all need to consider throwing on the extra winter weight to prepare for the cold months to come. What a better way get ready than to over-indulge in food and adult beverages?

Note: Now taking suggestions for best Thanksgiving Day food. The winner will be consumed in an eating competition between Jerry and Jonah to be filmed and posted.

6. Throw-back Uniforms

We are seeing these more and more frequently now, but you still gotta love the throwback unis. Back in the day they were more of a special occasion. Way back in the day, they were out every week. But now you just gotta love those plain blue jerseys and silver helmets the Lions drag out there every Thanksgiving to take their annual thumping on national TV. While the games may be sub-par, at least the uniforms are a site to behold. We can only hope the Broncos bring back those gorgeous throw backs we saw earlier this year.

(courtesy of http://www.rockymountainspirit.blogspot.com/)

5. Black Friday

Enormous crowds of people lined up before sunrise to get minimally discounted stuff that you probably don’t really want or need has got to get you all hot and bothered. So you’re not the shopping type – you now have most of the day to yourself, don’t you? Whether you hit the shops or not, the day after Thanksgiving is pretty quality (at least there are leftovers).

4. Travel

So you’ve got three different meals to get to and everyone and their brother (and aunt and uncle and cousins and grandparents) are on the road. It takes forever to get anywhere and God knows you’ve got to be somewhere. The airports are packed, half the flights are delayed (or cancelled) and nobody is in that holiday spirit just yet. But just on the other side of that trip is everything else in this list so you’ve got to embrace the travel.

3. Long-lost Relatives

All those relatives that were just on the road and in the airport are now at your house (or wherever you just showed up for yet another meal). Aunt Bernice smells funny, Grandma Marge has a mustache that really tickles when she gives you that kiss hello, and seriously, whose kids are those? If that kid eats one more booger I just know he’s throwing up and we all know the ADD kid in the corner will be playing in it. So maybe they’re kind of creepy and they’re definitely annoying, but they’re family and it does feel good to catch up once or twice a year, even if you have to give the same speech on what you’ve been up to 15 times.

2. The Kid’s Table

Booger boy is still picking his boogers and the ADD kid will not sit still. The devil twins have been pounding Mt. Dew since they got here and it starts to set in – Why am I still sitting at the kids table? I’m in high school/college/just graduated/engaged. At least you don’t have to sit next Aunt Bernice (not only does she smell, but she won’t shut up about how great her kids are). Not to mention you run that b*tch and all the little twerps will believe anything you tell them.

(courtesy of http://www.nydailynews.com/)

1. The Beginning of the Holiday Season

Maybe you put the tree up. Maybe you put up the lights. Maybe you don’t do a damn thing, but like it or not, Christmas, Hanukkah and every other major religious holiday are less than a month away. The holiday spirit is in the air and people are acting a little bit nicer (at least I seem to get the bird a little less on the way to work). You’ve got to love this time of year. So bring on the bad with the good. Grab some turkey and kick back and relax. It's Thanksgiving week and at least you get a few days off from work and school. Happy Holidays.

The "Asses" of the NFC North

I am a disgruntled Bears fan (enough said) and I really don't want for this to be another "Bitching Chicago fan blog", but I can't help it. I feel the need to call out some folks, some folks that are simply playing as if they don't care. The Bears are now 4-6, and thanks to the idiot Chris Collinsworth we now know that since 1990, seven percent of 4-6 teams make the playoffs (a stat my girlfriend even uttered off to me in hopes of making me feel better).

So first things first, I want it to be known that I did in fact support the Jay Cutler trade as did the rest of Chicago. What I did not support was what the Bears paid for him. It baffles me that the Bears traded this years first and third round pick, along with a first round pick for next season. From the get go Angelo was on the hot seat because of this trade, and so far not so good.

I knew today was a do or die game for Lovie, Angelo and the Bears themselves and going against an Eagles team that has the ability to put up big points on the scoreboard gave me cause for concern. I was worried up until this afternoon when I caught the best game of the day (literally) when the Browns took on the Lions. A game that featured two young quarterbacks on two bad teams (yet nobody told them this). Take me for a believer, but I thought "Hey, if Quinn can throw 4 touchdowns, Cutler can throw for 2 and an interception for a win right?"

Wrong! I am irate that I watched Matthew Stafford and Brady Quinn play with more passion and heart than I've seen Cutler have all season. I'm fuming because throughout this whole season Jay Cutler has only been consistant with two things: whining to the refs, and throwing interceptions. I am up in arms that the past two weeks, Cutler has thrown a pick in crucial times of the game. I am perplexed on how Cutler managed to over throw both Devin Hester and Johnny Knox for touchdowns (the two fastest players on the Bears, and possibly in the league), as well as Kellen Davis, Greg Olsen, and Earl Bennet. Cutler please stop throwing off your back foot. You were known as a "gun slinger", so can you please hit your receivers in stride with a fastball, instead of tossing up change-ups?

I suppose you can't blame it all on him, and I know this (but as I said, I am baffled and irrational right now). So who do I blame next? How about the entire offensive line? Beekman, I have had the privilege of watching you get beat like you stole something, over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Mr. Orlando Pace, whatever Pro Bowl linemen that was in you, is now gone. You are a corpse. I literally think that Chris Williams and Olin Kreutz carry you out there and hold you up. Speaking of Olin, I knew these days were coming (and that's all I have to say). I couldn't fit a needle through some of the holes you make for Matt Forte. You can't hold a block, or keep a pocket around Cutler for more than 2 seconds. The Bears are going nowhere, and nowhere fast with this line, which is funny considering they are a "running team"!

I refuse to call out the defense and Matt Forte. Sure the defense has looked shaky (I'm putting it lightly) but in the past two weeks against high power offenses, they have played well. They have had big injuries, and big egos that have diminished them. As for Forte, he hasn't had the reps that he deserves because of the change in offensive scheme this season (running team to passing team). He has no help from a horrendous line, and is victim of terrible play calling that puts him in bad positions (running a draw on 1st and 20, good plan Turner)

At least there were a few bright spots! Peanut Tillman showed us once again why he is the best at creating fumbles. He has perfected the "punch-out" and played pretty well overall with 7 total tackles. Whoever and wherever we got this Kahlil Bell kid from, I like him. His first rush as an NFL player was a 72 yard burst at a time when it looked like we would never pick up 3 yards on the ground. He had 4 attempts and finished with 81 yards, not bad for your debut. Bears receivers looked well tonight as well. Some would argue that they didn't but I believe that is skewed based on the fact that Cutler threw some uncatchable balls.

I don't know where the Bears are going from here, and to be honest I don't think they will be going much of anywhere. With a Packer team that is young, growing and learning, and the AD/Favre combo leading the ship that is the Vikings, it looks pretty bad. The Bears have a real problem here, and frankly its starting to be to much. But I don't want to be another whining Bears fan!

At least we got to see Devin Hester's ass on live television! This video is for you ladies!

-J

NFL: Week 11 Projections

Hello week 11. You are one important week to teams on the fence, looking to prove their worth and supremacy in their given conferences. There are quite a few inactives, such as Turner the Burner and his back up Jerious Norwood on a Falcons team that needs a win over the Giants. The likes of Reggie Bush, Brian Westbrook, Clinton Portis and Julius Jones have all been ruled out as well. Chris Sims takes over the reins of a sputtering Broncos offense, and Jamal Lewis is out in the match up of the year.

On the defensive side of the ball, the 100 million dollar man (Albert Haynesworth) is ruled out for a Redskins team that needs a win and the "Head and Shoulders" spokesmen Troy Polamalu is also inactive with a knee injury.

So with that in mind, here are "The Manchise's" first ever Pick 'Em post. We will be keeping track of records and later this week will post what embarrassing, bewildering thing the loser will have to do. So here we go!

Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys:
Jonah- Dallas

Jerry-Dallas

The game of the week: Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions (shouldn't they both lose?):
Jonah- Lions

Jerry- Cleveland

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers:
Jonah- Packers

Jerry- Packers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs:
Jonah- Steelers

Jerry- Steelers

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants:
Jonah- Giants

Jerry-Giants

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Jonah- Saints

Jerry- Saints

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars:
Jonah- Jags

Jerry- Jags

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens:
Jonah- Colts

Jerry- Colts
(let it be known now, Jonah has a bit of a mancrush on Peyton Manning. Kind of like Lou Holtz has with Brady Quinn, Jimmy Clausen, Tim Tebow, Notre Dame, Jimmy Clausen, Tim Tebow, water, Tim Tebow....)

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings:
Jonah- Vikes

Jerry- The purple Favre's

New York Jets at New England Patriots:
We both agree that Belichick has something to proove. He will run up the score on the Jets.

Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders:
Jonah- Bengals

Jerry- Bengals

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos:
Jonah- Charge up!

Jerry- Chris Simms is terrible

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears:
Jonah- Sorry Jerry, Phili

Jerry- Da Bears (Do or Die for Lovie)

And on Monday Night: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
Jonah- Titans

Jerry- Texans

So there you have it folks, the first ever "Pick 'em" for our site. We will continue this the rest of the season, so be sure to check back later this week for more picks, and what the loser at the end of this season will do!

-the manchise